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Consulates
is 's representation in , , .}} in , }} in }} The office of a consul is a consulate and is usually to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an or – between countries – . Like the terms embassy or high commission, consulate may refer not only to the office of consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and his or her staff. The consulate may share premises with the embassy itself. Consular rank A consul of the highest rank is termed a consul-general, and is appointed to a consulate-general. There are typically one or more deputy consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and consular agents working under the consul-general. A country may appoint more than one consul-general to another nation. Authority and activities Consuls of various ranks may have specific legal authority for certain activities, such as notarizing documents. As such, diplomatic personnel with other responsibilities may receive consular (commissions). Aside from those outlined in the , there are few formal requirements outlining what a consular official must do. For example, for some countries, consular officials may be responsible for the issue of visas; other countries may limit "consular services" to providing assistance to compatriots, legalization of documents, etc. Nonetheless, consulates proper will be headed by consuls of various ranks, even if such officials have little or no connection with the more limited sense of consular service. Activities of a consulate include protecting the interests of their citizens temporarily or permanently resident in the host country, issuing s; issuing to foreigners and . However, the principal role of a consulate lies traditionally in promoting trade—assisting companies to invest and to import and export goods and services both inwardly to their home country and outward to their host country. Although it is not admitted publicly, consulates, like embassies, may also gather information from the assigned country. Consular districts Role in diplomatic missions Contrary to popular belief, many of the staff of consulates may be career diplomats, but they do not generally have unless they are also accredited as such. Immunities and privileges for consuls and accredited staff of consulates ( ) are generally limited to actions undertaken in their official capacity and, with respect to the consulate itself, to those required for official duties. In practice, the extension and application of consular privileges and immunities can differ widely from country to country. Consulates are more numerous than diplomatic missions, such as . Ambassadors are posted only in a foreign nation's capital (but exceptionally outside the country, as in the case of a multiple mandate; e.g., a minor power may accredit a single ambassador with several neighbouring states of modest relative importance that are not considered important allies). Consuls are posted in a nation's capital, and in other cities throughout that country, especially centres of economic activity and cities where large populations of citizens from the consul's home country reside ( s). In the , for example, most countries have a consulate-general in , (the home of the ), and some have consulates-general in several major cities, such as , , , , , or . Many countries have multiple consular offices in nations such as Germany, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Consulates are subordinate posts of their home country's diplomatic mission (typically an , in the capital city of the host country). Diplomatic missions are established in under the , while consulates-general and consulates are established in international law under the . Formally, at least within the US system, the consular career (ranking in descending order: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, honorary consul) forms a different hierarchy from the diplomats in the strict sense. However, it is common for individuals to be transferred from one hierarchy to the other, and for consular officials to serve in a capital carrying out strictly consular duties within the consular section of a diplomatic post; e.g., within an embassy. Between countries, both diplomatic and consular activities may be undertaken by a in the capital, although larger Commonwealth nations generally also have consulates and consulates-general in major cities. For example, in , in Australia and , New Zealand, are of greater economic importance than their respective national capitals, hence the need for consulates there. Hong Kong When was under , of countries, such as Canada, Australia, , India, , and were known as commissions. After the to in 1997, they were renamed consulates-general, with the last commissioner becoming consul-general. However, the Australian commission had been renamed the consulate-general in 1986. Owing to Hong Kong's status as a of , some countries' consulates-general in Hong Kong report directly to their respective , rather than to their embassies in , such as those of , the and . References Category:Travel